You Know
by bubblygoo
Summary: A series of one shots, each including the two words 'you know'. Installment Four: “Don't you know I love you? TomoeAkira
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

Installment One: Flow

"Kenshin…" Kaoru said uncertainly. She held her hands together in front of her, and shyly cast her gaze at Kenshin. The red headed man had been her husband for almost a year, and while she was happier with him than she ever was before, she still blushed red every morning, when she woke by his side.

"Yes Kaoru-dono?" He still addressed her formally, whether it was out of habit or some other reason, she'd no idea. Marriage had brought changes to their relationship, and yet they'd stayed the same. She still tried her best not to speak of his past unless he brought it up, still pretended like she hadn't the slightest idea that he had something difficult for him to tell her to make it easier for him, and still said insensitive things to him from time to time, and still hated herself for it later.

To her amazement and joy, she could still bring a peaceful smile to his face, comfort him without really trying to. But now, with their spoken intimacy on a new level, she could hesitantly seek comfort in his arms, without thinking her problems would be too burdensome for him.

He smiled at her good-naturedly, his tender expression mirrored in his eyes. He was still the polite gentleman she'd met on the Tokyo streets that night, still had a kind smile with a hint of sadness, still seemed to be oblivious of her stronger affections; she wasn't sure if she preferred if he really was unknowing or just pretended to be.

They were visiting Tomoe's grave. They'd both finished their prayers, when Kaoru couldn't stop herself from saying it. She felt a hint of a blush come onto her cheeks. She said nothing for a while, until finally blurting out her words. "You know that Tomoe-san only wants you to be happy, right?"

"Oro?" Kenshin was genuinely surprised. She almost giggled at the sight of him, her always composed, always mature husband, with his mouth slightly agape, his eyes wide, and his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

Catching him unawares strengthened her resolve. She smiled widely and continued. "You yourself said Tomoe-san was kinder than anyone. She's watching over Enishi right now, now that she is convinced that you have finally forgiven yourself…and perhaps her as well."

Kenshin's look of confusion changed to a look of strange understanding. He closed his eyes and smiled. The two of them had been in close proximity ever since they'd arrived in Kyoto (another thing that had changed between the two of them; close contact outside their home was something the both of them had subconsciously made into a habit), so it was easy for Kenshin to ease his arm around his wife. "Is that so?" he prodded. "How long have you been thinking about this?"

Kaoru leaned into his touch. She nodded and said, "Ever since you told me about her. I never said anything because I was too embar—" She blushed even harder and cut off her words.

Kenshin looked at Kaoru knowingly. "Go on. This unworthy one has become curious." Kaoru's blush didn't recede.

"I have a feeling if she could have stopped it, she would have never let that dagger cut into your cheek." Kaoru fingered Kenshin's scar. "Knowing that it would be a constant reminder of what happened…"

Kenshin covered her hand with his. "Yes. She wouldn't have wished that upon me. However…" His hand was larger than hers. He gripped her hand gently. "Even if this weren't here, my mind is filled with haunting memories. I suppose my scar is a physical manifestation of those memories, given to me by the two people that began my journey."

Kaoru's eyes saddened. She knew very well that his memories were much more gruesome and bloody than his now slightly fading scar. "Are they fading as well?"

Kenshin shook his head. "They will always remain, but lately, it has become less painful to think of them, and I dream of them less and less often." He released her hand, but she kept it on his scar, as if afraid something would happen to it if she let go. "Lately, my dreams and thought have been filled with happier times." He smiled again.

Kaoru let her hand drop. She could never stop that fulfilling sense whenever Kenshin opened up to her and dropped his formal speech pattern. She smiled back. "Mine have as well." She looked down the path to the exit of the graveyard. "Shall we go home?"

Now it was her turn to be surprised. "Not yet. This unworthy one still has one more prayer to offer." He kneeled down on Tomoe's grave, taking Kaoru's previous position. He closed his eyes and prayed aloud.

"Kaoru-dono is a truly wise woman, as are you. You must have known what was waiting for me in Tokyo. You led me to my truth, my answer, as well as the people that gave me the will to find it, to live. I have always regretted not protecting your happiness, and so you gave me others to protect, as well as those who have protected me.

"It is there where I have found a place where family was waiting. Now you have someone else to watch over, to guide. You left me because I no longer needed to see you, but also because you have found someone who needed you much more. And I have found someone as well, someone whom I need, and someone who needs me. We will watch over each other fiercely, like dragon and dragoness."

Kaoru blushed, and she saw Kenshin was smiling a bit more wickedly than he normally did.

"I know you are forever smiling in heaven, with your happiness. Good bye." Kenshin bowed his head low, and stood up, facing his wife. "All right then… This unworthy one is ready to go home." He held his hand out to her, and she gratefully took it.

The couple walked out of the temple and made their way to the Aoi-ya. The shadows were beginning to lengthen; yet the streets were as busy as ever. "Wow," Kaoru said. "It's getting late, and even children are still out."

"Hmm." Kenshin glanced around the streets. "The shops have extended their hours. The flow of time stays the same, but the people will flow to their own currents…"

Kaoru smiled. "You always manage to say something poetic Kenshin."

Kenshin smiled back. "Say, Shirobeko isn't too far from here. Are you hungry?"

Kenshin stopped walking, and Kaoru found herself in front of the restaurant. "Ah…" Kaoru looked suspiciously at Kenshin, who cocked his head to the side. "Sure." He gripped her hand.

"Let's go then…"

End

A few notes:

1) This is based entirely on the manga. I know that in the OAV, Tomoe purposely cuts Kenshin's cheek (Why, I've no idea…), but in the manga, the dagger falls and accidentally cuts him.

2) Tomoe's happiness is Akira.

3) Kaoru is about three to five months pregnant.

4) Updating this fic will be irregular. I'm really only writing for my own enjoyment, as selfish as that may seem.

Thank you for reading, and I'd love to know what you think. Constructive criticism is very much appreciated, as well as encouragement.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

Installment Two: Heal

"Ow!"

"Oh stop being such a baby. This never would have happened if you'd been more careful," admonished Megumi.

Sano blew on his hand and shook it gently. He could have sworn Megumi had wrapped his hand that tight on purpose. He frowned as his hand grew from a bluish tint to a grapey purple. Even worse was that he could see the sickening color through his white bandages. "Couldn't you have wrapped it a little looser?"

Megumi glared at his hand before giving it a good solid whack.

"Ow!"

"I could have, but maybe now, you'll think before using it; that is, if you think at all."

"Oh, low blow vixen." Sano rubbed his bandaged hand. At least the tight wrappings dulled the pain a bit. "Are you sure this isn't going to cut off my blood flow or something?"

"Yes I'm sure. I'm a doctor after all."

For a while, the two of them said nothing. Sano observed as Megumi packed up her medical supplies into her medicine cabinet. Megumi's long fingernails made light tapping noises against the small drawers. Sano's fingernails were always kept short. With the amount of fist fighting he did, long nails were a hindrance and a useless attempt. Even off the battlefield, they seemed to chip themselves off.

"So I overheard you talking the other day with the old doc."

Megumi was in the middle of closing a drawer, when she opened it fully and placed its contents in another drawer. "Really? What did you hear?"

Sano leaned back on the chair she situated him at. He ignored her question. "You've got the right idea. After all, the reason Kenshin risked his ass for you was so you could someday find your family. So you owe him two things: sticking here until it's all over, and then leaving to find your family."

She closed the last drawer. "You're more perceptive than I thought." Megumi left the room to find a teakettle.

Silence reentered the room. Sano banished it with another attempt. "You know you're a good doctor, so what are you worried about?" His voice wasn't unheard by Megumi.

She came back into the room with the tea and two cups. She poured some for herself and left the kettle next to Sano's hand. Realizing that he would probably make a mess of the table if he tried to pour the tea with his bandaged hand, Megumi took pity on him and poured him a cup. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. You're worried about Kenshin."

Megumi arched an eyebrow. "And what does that have to do with me being a good doctor?"

Sano took a swig of the tea before saying, "You're worried that Kenshin will be too wounded for you to go back to Aizu as early as you hoped for, or even worse, wounded enough that he'll need you by his side until the end of his days. That does _worry_ you, right?"

"Of course not!" she denied. Megumi saw Sano's skeptical look and said, words as sharp and graceful as a sword, "Whether or not I return to Aizu this month or the next doesn't matter to me; I know I will return someday. And even if Ken-san is in need of treatment permanently, that will be Kaoru-chan's job. She is more than fit for the job."

Despite having been proven wrong, Sano had a very smug grin on his face. "What are you smiling about?" snapped Megumi.

"Eh, it's nothing." Megumi angrily refilled his cup of tea. "Seems as though you've given up on Kenshin."

"Don't be foolish," she scoffed, though her tone was light. "He is, and always will be, the man who saved my life and conscience."

"Hey, I was there too you know."

"Yes, but if I remember correctly rooster-head, we weren't on very good terms."

Sano looked wounded. "Oh come on vixen. I thought we were over that." Megumi only rolled her eyes.

"Well if you're done, go home. I have other patients you know."

"Yeah, yeah." Sano got up and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Megumi cleared away the tea and cups. "Hey vixen."

"What?"

"I have a feeling this hand is going to bother me until the end of my days. What'll I do when you're gone?"

Megumi glanced at him before looking away. "Well I suppose you can visit me in Aizu."

_**Six years later**_

Sano leaned his head back, staring at the night sky. The stars shone brightly in the deserted steppes of Mongolia. His horse stood sleeping next to him.

He could still remember that talk with Megumi, six years ago. Things had been chaotic then, and Megumi's leaving had been the least of his worries. Even when the fiasco with Enishi ended, it seems it was destiny that the dojo would never be the same.

Sano flexed his now almost completely healed right hand. He had been lucky that Megumi's family medicine had been so successful in Japanese markets that it was now being marketed in certain Mongolian and Arab ports; goodness knows how often he'd needed it.

He unwrapped his right hand. It looked as good as new, save the obvious wear and tear around his knuckles. 'Looks like you really were a good doctor, eh vixen?' Sano exhaled loudly. His horse snorted a bit. 'But still… I have something else you need to heal.'

Sano stood up and grabbed a piece of parchment and pen from his saddlebags. Sitting down cross-legged, he began to write.

A few notes:

1) This was my first attempt at a Sano/Megumi centered piece. (No, that is not an excuse for my writing deficiencies. I'm just saying )

2) I really wanted to squeeze in the phrase "Every once in a while, you have something good to say", or something to that effect, like in volume 18 and 28, but I didn't. Bummer.

3) Both installment titles didn't have very much thought put into them.

4) Not all installments will be romantic.

Thank you for reading, and I'd love to know what you think. Constructive criticism is very much appreciated, as well as encouragement.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

Installment Three: Stargaze

Misao swooned at the paper crane Aoshi held in his hands. He'd skillfully and quickly folded the light green paper into the adorable shape, much to Misao's awe. She'd after all, only seen him do it thirteen other times, and each time, the crane came out perfectly, without wrinkles or unintended creases.

As she grabbed Aoshi by the hand and rushed to add the crane to her collection located in her room, which Hannya noticed was getting untidier by the day, Shikijou gulped down another cup of sake.

"Look at her run," said Shikijou with a fond grin on his face. "She's so fast, she can out run me."

"It isn't that challenging of a task," said Hannya, crushing Shikijou's ego.

The gatekeeper ignored him and went on, "If things were different, I bet she would have made a fine kunoichi." He sighed and tossed the cup aside, deciding instead to drink by the jug.

"Hey Shikijou! Don't finish all the sake before the night's over!" shouted another voice. Beshimi, followed by Hyottoko, walked toward them with a large sake jug in his hands, while Hyottoko carried two, curled under each arm.

Shikijou only replied, "Well, the gang's all here now, no need to be shy," and started guzzling the clear liquid, his throat bulging between gulps.

Beshimi plopped down on his side and popped the cork from the top of the jug. Hyottoko sat cross-legged and did the same to both his jugs. He tossed one to Hannya, who caught the jar without a single drop of liquid spilling. 'There's no room for skills to get rusty," he thought to himself.

"Have a drink Hannya. You probably can't even see the beautiful stars out there with that mask on." Hyottoko stretched himself out on the ground and gazed at the night sky. "This is gonna be our last night here, with people that don't give a damn about what we are or who we are, so let's breathe in the fresh air." With that he took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

Hannya took his mask off and counted the number of constellations he could form. "Hmm… It looks like _Hyottoko_ is missing tonight."

"What? My star's gone?" Hyottoko sat up suddenly and frantically looked for his star. "Wait… No, there it is. It's just really dim." He sighed in relief. "Scared me for a moment."

"Idiot. The first thing you should do every night is make sure your stars still shining," scoffed Beshimi, who pointed to his own. "Good old Beshimi is there every single time I look. Look's like he's getting dimmer too though…"

Shikijou then proceeded to point out his own star, while Hannya tipped his jug to his burnt lips. 'Even the heavens seem to be telling us that our time is ending…'

"Oh, are you guys stargazing? Me too, me too!" Misao ran to Hannya and sat down next to him. Aoshi followed her and sat down formally behind her.

"Can you find your star, Misao?" asked Beshimi.

"Uh… Oh yeah, there it is! Right next to Aoshi-sama!" She pointed excitedly at the two heavenly bodies.

Hyottoko sighed. "The two of your stars are still as bright as ever. I'm jealous."

Misao started to laugh, but her curved mouth soon turned into a round one as she yawned.

Okina seemed to be waiting for that to happen. Immediately after her mouth closed, he called to her from Aoi-ya's door. "Misao, it's time for you to go to bed."

"But Gramps, we just started stargazing!" she pouted.

"Listen to Okina, Misao," said Aoshi. "It's time for bed." He stood up and Misao quickly followed his lead.

Hannya smiled at the two of them, both people he would unhesitatingly give his life for. He looked around the circle his comrades had formed, thing the same for them. He took another sip of sake, and shook the jug to measure how much alcohol was left: barely more than half. 'That's odd, I don't remember drinking that much…'

Beshimi sighed. "That Misao. She's growing up so tall, soon she'll be even taller than me."

"That's not that challenging of a task," Hannya replied.

Beshimi ignored him and rested his eyes on the star named Misao. "Soon, the only thing we'll have to remember her by is her star."

"You know the path we've chosen will be lonely. We all do," stated Hannya indifferently. "It's painful, but for the best."

The other three members of the Oniwabanshuu nodded.

"But you know…" said Beshimi thoughtfully. "Okashira shouldn't be going with us. It's not like he has to, I mean."

"Yes he does," said Hannya. "He doesn't need to for us, but for reasons only he knows about. That probably makes leaving the hardest for him."

The four were silent for a moment, each taking a swig from their jug. Beshimi, the smallest member by far, already looked like he was going to pass out. "Am I out of sake already?" he asked the jug, and dropped said jug onto the ground, snoring peacefully.

Hyottoko shook his head disapprovingly. "Pathetic," he said, and picked up his foster brother by the leg and held him upside down. Despite being held upside down three feet in the air, he remained unconscious. "I'm gonna toss this mouse into bed."

Hannya nodded, and Hyottoko walked off with Beshimi swung over his shoulder toward the main building. Moments later, Shikijou was frowned at his upside down jug. He shook the stubborn jug, which refused to relinquish more sake. "Damn," he said. "Looks like I finished all the sake before the night's gone after all."

"Don't go and get more," scolded Hannya, "Just turn in. You're probably going to have a head ache in the morning."

"Why in the world would that happen?" Hannya only rolled his eyes, an action that was only noticed because his forehead wrinkled slightly. "Well, whatever. G'night."

Then Hannya was left alone. His supply of alcohol had long disappeared, its strange but soothing effects worn off long ago. He wasn't sure how long he'd sat outside, gazing at his friends' stars. The moon was rolling down the sky, and the stars he knew were Misao's and Aoshi's. His had long disappeared.

He slid his mask back on and walked into Aoi-ya.

The End

A few notes:

1) The writing and speech were very informal, I know.

2) I hope it wasn't too corny.

3) No, Hannya is not going to sleep with his mask on.

4) **_Thanks for all your support._** I really appreciate it.

5) Please tell me what you think.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. This piece is written without permission from the proper rights owners, which include Nobuhiro Watsuki, Sony, and Anime Works. Please do not sue, though I don't think you would get anything from doing so anyway.

Gossip

"Isn't that her?"

"Yes, I believe so…"

They were always whispered, respectful, and full of pity.

"They say he left for Kyoto…"

"Why would he do that? They could have been so happy…"

She didn't want to hear them. They said over and over what was already echoing in her mind. Soon their banter annoyed her, like a wasp flying near but never landing.

"I feel so sorry for her… I heard they were old childhood friends, but when he asked her to marry him, she didn't feel for him that way…"

"Does that matter? Marriage is marriage…"

"Yes, but the boy was a foolish one, always wanting to impress her, to be worthy of her…"

And then the whispers turned malicious. But never toward him, never, it was her who was wrong.

"Why would he do that? Stupid boy…"

"He knew her for so long, and yet he is blinder than the rest of us."

"A lady of honor, she is. She would never be so silly."

"He asked for the impossible."

They were lies. Lies!

"But still… Death is too strong a punishment for someone so young."

They were lying. No one had told her of this.

"How sad a fate… to die for something never to be reached…"

They were wrong. She loved him, truly. It was something stronger than she'd ever felt before, an emotion unhampered from outside forces. She loved him. She _loves_ him.

Doesn't he know that? It was so clear to her, so wonderfully obvious, something she wanted him to know so desperately.

'Don't you know I love you?'

Why was it so difficult for her? To say a simple phrase that meant so much to the both of them? It could have saved him. She could have prevented this. She could have been married.

They could have been so happy.

"I hear…"

Now there was fear.

"I hear that a demon killed him…"

"A demon?"

"A demon that kills for the patriots… No one has ever seen him and lived, so no one knows who really killed all of those people…"

Impossible. Someone must know.

"He roams the streets of Kyoto at night, hunting Shogunate soldiers…"

"Nonsense. It takes planning and organization to assassinate people and remain unknown."

"I'm only telling what I've heard."

When a samurai was killed, his wife was obligated to take care of his death. She isn't his fiancé, she is his _wife_. She would find this demon. 'Vengeance' her mind said, but her heart knew better. She was the cause of his death, not this demon the whispers spoke of. The demon was the axe, and she was the executioner.

Her mind plotted, one step after another. She doubted she had the strength to kill, so once again, the role of the axe would fall to someone else. Once the demon was gone, she would be too. There would be nothing left in life, and she was already wishing to see her _husband_ once more.

It was a simple plan, with a simple motive. He would have argued that vengeance wasn't worth the death of even a demon. He was always so kind, so foolish. Her life only had one meaning now, her mind only one though. And her heart was gone.

End

A few notes:

This is a different writing style than I'm used to. I've seen it in a few fics, or at least something similar to it. I don't know if it worked out well, but it was rather fun.  This is another Tomoe/Akira piece. There's not too many of them, so I don't really know where I'm getting the inspiration for this, seeing as how I am primarily a Kenshin/Kaoru fan… Of course the feedback I got for my first Tomoe/Akira piece was quite a spirit-lifter. The word count is rather pathetic: 670 words. The page count is just barely over two pages, not counting the disclaimer or this last bit. Please tell me what you think. A big thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers! If you're anonymous and would like a reply to your review, leave an email address.

Oh, and this is probably the last installment, and I'm going to need a new summary in a few weeks or so. Suggestions are desperately needed!


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